Valorization of American lobster (Homarus americanus) cooking waters: Preparation and characterization of a food ingredient

The disposal of solid and liquid processing waste is an important challenge for the seafood industry. These wastes can often be turned into valuable products. Liquid wastes like cooking juices can be useful for the food industry, once concentrated and stabilized, because they contain molecules such as proteins, pigments, and flavor compounds. The present study applied a concentration process to lobster cooking waters to prepare a food ingredient. An extract obtained from the cooking water was subjected to chemical characterization. It was mainly composed of minerals (60.4%) and proteins (30.0%) and contained desirable flavor compounds. The safety of the ingredient was verified. The ingredient also exhibited a water-holding capacity of 0.35 ml/g and a nitrogen solubility higher than 85%, which is suitable for incorporation into liquid food systems. A broth containing 0.5% and 1.0% of the ingredient was then prepared. These results proved the feasibility of preparing a food ingredient from lobster cooking effluents. Practical applications It is possible to valorize the cooking effluents from lobster processing facilities by concentrating the solids they contain and use them in food formulations as a natural flavoring agent.